History of Illinoistown Lodge No. 51 F&AM & Miscellaneous Information

History of Illinoistown Lodge No. 51 F.&A.M.

    The Fraternal Order of Free and Accepted Masons is a Fraternity devoted to a cause of helping its members become better men. It does not solicit members, but its doors are open to men who ask and are found worthy. To those who have had the privilege of being accepted into the Fraternity, being a Master Mason is an Honor and to become the Master of his Lodge, a great distinction. Many men have sought membership because of the influence the lodge has had on their friends and associates. Boys, growing up watching their father faithfully attending lodge and practicing its precepts naturally inquired about membership when they became of age. This most ancient of fraternities with roots back to the time of the building of King Solomon's Temple and modernly from June 24, 1717, when several guilds united as Lodges in London, has survived because of that positive influence.

    Chartered under the Grand Lodge of California in 1854, this lodge first met in a small building it built in the original old town of Illinoistown, half a mile south on the old wagon road, hence the name. Having outgrown the original hall and almost all of the old town moved to the new town of Colfax, the lodge did the same and commenced construction of this hall in 1867. It officially moved into the hall on December 7, 1867 and the hall was dedicated on June 24, 1868.

    The dedication was a grand affair with dignitaries and guests arriving from San Francisco and Sacramento by train. A parade lead by the Sacramento Cornet band escorted the group to the lodge for speech-making and elsewhere about town. Later in the evening a grand ball was held with 175 couples dancing the night through.

    The building was financed by the sale of shares of stock. Among the purchases of this stock was one Henry La Kemp of Dutch Flat, who bought one share and promptly forgot about it. Forty years later when a burglar blew the safe of Jamison's Store in Dutch Flat, somebody picked up this single Certificate of Stock among the papers scattered by the explosion. La Kemp, still alive, sent a bill to the Lodge for approximately five-hundred dollars, covering principle and past dividends. The Lodge was unable to make full payment at the time but gave him one hundred and fifty dollars and made arrangements to honorably discharge the balance of debt in monthly payments.

    The ground floor had as its principle tenant for many years, the Bank of America. The pillars on the face of the building were installed to accommodate the bank's request. Originally, all lodges in California had to be on a second floor to discourage "Cowans and Eavesdroppers." The Colfax hall is a fine example of lodge hall design and construction of the late 1800s. The rear social hall was added in 1919 by brothers who returned from the great war. Today, lodges can be on a single floor as long as the lodge room has no windows. This is a great comfort for our older brethren.

    Of the outstanding names on Illinoistown's long roll, George W. Applegate heads the list. He had been a Charter Member of Eureka Lodge No. 16 of Auburn but withdrew in 1853 to help organize Illinoistown lodge. He served as Master in 1855 and died in Good Standing, May 9, 1902. Brother Applegate had been a Mason for over fifty years and a member of Illinoistown Lodge for forty-eight years.

    Today there are eighteen men alive who have served this Lodge as Master. Because the Lodge is so small, many men have had plural terms in the Master's chair. The oldest living Past Master is Arthur R. (Newt) Chase who was honored by the Lodge in the 1996 Independence Day Parade. Brother Chase was Master of the Lodge in 1950 that happened to be the centennial of the Grand Lodge of California and again in 1954 and that was the centennial of Illinoistown Lodge.

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